Dubinsky, though a fan favorite, was long expected to be part of the deal following an awful season. Anisimov’s development had stalled in New York and he’d clearly fallen out of favor with the organization. Erixon is a top prospect, but given the strength and ages of the Rangers’ top-four, he was a logical chip. The first-round pick should turn out to be in the 20-30 range, reducing its value significantly.

And so the Rangers finally got the stud power forward they’ve coveted for months. Nash will be expected to carry the scoring load while Marian Gaborik recovers from a torn labrum, but once he returns the Rangers should have a much more powerful offensive attack than they did when they reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

Here’s an early look at the team’s depth chart (NOT LINE COMBINATIONS):

Wow. As good as can be expected. I’ll miss Dubi (and I think he’s in for a major rebound year) and I’m a little nostalgic as the Rangers lose both Russian speakers in the same offseason, but you gotta do this deal.
P.S. Poor Erixon! Snubbed Calgary, only to be shipped off to Columbus.

Nash-Richards-Gaborik (that’s scary)
Kreider-Stepan-Cally (Torts will switch lines, but I would bet on Kreider-Stepan for 40+ games)
Hagelin-Boyle-X
Pyatt-Halpern-Asham
Haley in Hartford, Rupp in the press box, except against Devils and Flyers.

Gotta say, I like this deal. Giving up two quality forwards and Erixon’s potential obviously hurts. But keeping Stepan, Kreider, McD and others, while adding a front line winger who will add some major production offensively along with Richards and Gaborik is something you can’t pass up. Solid job Glen Sather

I couldn’t be happier with this. Sather has his 1980s mojo back big time. We didn’t give up a single irreplaceable prospect. If our luck holds, maybe Sauer is further along that we also realize given Erixon’s inclusion :)?

This one almost rivals the Gomez deal. Dubi and AA were in top 6/bottom 6 limbo, Erixon has not proven anything at the NHL level and the Rangers always draft in the bottom half of the first round. For one of the top players in the league. Well done, Glen.

I agree. I think for everyone who was advocating for the kids to get a chance, this is the best case scenario. Not only did we get a stud power forward for almost nothing, it opens up spots for kids to fill. Win-win for me

Still early but has the makings one of the best deals in ranger history. Duby and AA nothing more than third liners. We have many prospects coming up that can replace those two and we get a top player in his prime. Our defense has depth as well. We can absorb loss of Erixon u can tell torts just didn’t like him.

I think it feels off because losing players like Prust and Dubi at least appears to detracts from the “blue collar” tone that the team has embraced. Here’s to hoping the infusion of skill doesn’t throw anything off.

It’s not about the style, at least for me. It’s the heart. I loved Prust and Dubinsky. And in the case of Dubinsky, what’s he’s meant to the team over the years… I really wanted to see him win a Cup in NY. But, alas, professional sports are a business, and business dictated his -and others- departure.

They say to play (or root) for the logo on the front, not the name on the back. As a fan, sometimes that’s not such an easy choice.

Duby will be missed. Here’s hoping guys like Nash and Pyatt can fill the emotional void.

Dubi and AA will each score 20 goals this year, and Erixon will net 5. That’s 45 goals. Think Nash will get 45? Still, you can’t dislike this deal because we got one of the top offensive players in the league, exactly what we lacked. Plus, he’s entering his prime. Still, I’ll miss Dubi’s heart, and AA’s defensive responsibility. With our defense, we could afford to lose Erixon.

whether we admit it or not, WE ARE going to miss Dubi and to some extent Artem. BUT then again WE have one of the studs of the game. i’ve always loved this guy, he’s a horse and with a supporting cast, WOW !!! now we have to hope coach lets mr. nash be able to play some of his own game, NOT blocking every shot and getting injured. doan would be nice but only for two yrs.

Can’t believe it went down like this! Obviously hurts to see 2 guys go in Dubi and AA who we loved but feels great to see Stepan, Hagelin, MDZ, and McD still on the team. I think with Erixon- yes he is a great prospect but NYR have 3 (better) left-handed def in McD, Staal, and MDZ. Now we just have to wait to see Nash play.. Also I think for the powerplay, Nash will be a difference maker. I sometimes forget how bad our pp was last year and Nash (and Kreider) will help a lot.

Slats, I take back every bad thing I said about you in the past, this deal was highway robbery, and we got away with it!!!!!

The only negative, and I must admit I’m a Dubi fan, he will be missed. AA never was impressive, and I stated many times, he was too soft, and needed upper body work, too narrow in the ass. Tim is a good prospect, but he too is soft. A #1 pick, way down in the 27to 29 area, no big loss.

The up side, the kids weren’t moved. Say what you want, with Step staying, that boads well for re-signing he, and McD in the future, they are buds.

Haley will be in the AHL all season, unless there is a call up for fighting needs. I would love to see the Miller kid get a shot, I believe he is more NHL ready that Thomas, or Bourque, and is more physical. Let him learn to PK, and to defend, and work his way up to the third line next year or two.

Over all, I can’t be happier, and we still haven’t given away the store for this trade. Maybe Doan will come our way, at a reasonable rate, and term!

First of all, Sather is amazing and now Nash is going to be a huge STUD for this team.

What is interesting is that this trade is that it puts Sather in the driving seat to sculpt a solid playoff team. He has $13M in cap space (so probably $10-11M after DZ signs) and a bunch of interesting free agents out there that could help this team ON ONE YEAR deals. I say only 1 year because we have some key RFAs (McD, Step, Haggy) coming up next summer and they need to be re-signed. The top two guys I see that could fit this team are Jason Arnott and Pavel Kubina, if they are willing to accept one year offers at this point int he summer (almost August). Arnott would push Boyle to the 4th line and Kubina would slide in nicely on that last defensive pair as a right-handed PP shot. Once again, note that the cap space is just free money to spend as long as it is only a 1 year deal. Doan would obviously be intriguing, but he will definitely want more than 1 year and that could negatively affect the team’s chance of re-signing those key RFAs next summer. Just my thoughts…

I am hopeful that the inclusion of Erixon has a deeper meaning….I’m hoping that Michael Sauer is healthier than being reported and that perhaps McIlrath’s surgery was successful. I believe in Sather’s trade skills.

Am I the only person who looks at our centers and gets heart palpitations? I mean after BR we have an unproven Stepan who may become a stud but is not there yet, and then lumbering Brian Boyle who has limited playmaking skills and a 40 year old Halpern. i love the deal but cold hearted realism suggests that wingers need centers they can click with and I am not sold that Nash thrives with Stepan and if not what’s the plan?.

Stepan is already showing more promise than Marc Savard and we know how losing him ended up for the Rangers. There is a reason Sather has been adamant about keeping Stepan and I think we are going to get rewarded with a stud. Quietly had 45 points and 51 points in his first 2 years and will only get more talent on his line this year. Expect him to be a 70 point guy

1. Dubi was not a blue collar player. He was a player that had no hockey sense so he ran around the rink doing whatever -> hence it appeared blue collar – it was just out of control. Torts clearly was aware of his lack of hockey playing ability. As for $$$ per production/potential Dubi is the most overpaid in the history of the NHL. Slats did a terrible job inking this contract, but pulled a Houdini to get out.

2. The loss of Feds and Prust is overcomeable. Prust was crazy overpaid and Feds might be out of gas in his tank. As replacement, some of the young legs on The Whale or some retreads from the waiver wire (see Devils 4th line).

3. Not losing an NHL defender is key. Still need a PP shooter, but that might be the hardest position in hockey to fill. However with Nash, it leaves Richards for D on the PP.

4. Team chemistry will actually improve. Prust and Dubi really only fit with Boyle, but Boyle is very adaptive and truly a smart blue collar scoring hockey player. Prust and Dubi were impostors.

This team will gel and play well. Defense and team play will be the focus, but scoring will be up to 2.95 goals per game. Addition of Nash and Krieder will equal better scoring for 5v5 plus huge improvement in PP.

Do you have any idea what you are talking about?? Dubi had a down year after signing a big contract. It was a bad year and tough to watch as a fan of his. If you possess the mental dexterity to look back to the 2010-11 season, you should remember that he was the most complete and effective ranger (save Lundqvist).

Hint: logic, or any argument for that matter won’t work against it. Neither is mentioning how often Torts praises him or how almost every team that contacted NYR was reported to be asking for him…Bobby still knows that Torts secretly hates him and thinks he’s a bum.

After all the details were in it is hard not to like this trade. We get back a prospect albeit not as good as Erixon, BUT bigger and with potential and a 3rd round pick which should be a high one. We lose a 1st but hopefully number 30 and the earliest I would say 24 to 30 range. Now if somehow Sather can get back into this draft in the 1st round then no matter how you look at it it is a coupe.
I was opposed to a Nash trade involving the likes of Del Zotto, McDonagh, Kreider and Stepan and Miller, McIlrath and Thomas. Had one of these players been involved I would have hated this trade. Only person I will miss is Dubinsky. Erixon and Miller were take it or leave it kinda players for me. Not giving up Miller or Thomas is where the brilliance of this trade is.

Nash with Richards and Cally should be the line for next year

Stepan has chemistry with both Kreider and Gaborik so that leads me to believe that will be the other line

Boyle with Hagelin and Pyatt should be line 3

and finally Halpren and Asham with either Miller, Rupp and Haley will be line 4

Thomas will get a call up

If Sauer is healthy this team will be odds on favorite to win the cup

then we have the next FA coming and a few players could be had and I believe would desire to come to the Rangers in the likes of Perry or Getzlaf, Edler, Clowe

No matter how we look at it we just got better because of the appeal of the team and keeping the youth together.

Fedo, Prust, Arty, Mitchell, Dubi were great team mates so lets hope the new bunch can come in and fit in and keep the chemistry going